Road Signs and Traffic Jams

In August 2010 a major traffic jam occurred in Gungahlin at the intersection of Gungahlin Drive and Gundaroo Road. ( A major traffic jam is one that impacts my getting where I need to be 🙂 I contacted Roads ACT and Mr Cameron Glassford, A/Manager Traffic Signals visited the area the following day, arranged for the traffic signals to be adjusted and the problem was resolved. For this rapid response there are many people in the Gungahlin area that owe Cameron a debt of gratitude, albeit belated. Thank you Cameron. But that’s not the end of the story……

In April 2011 I listened intently to a conversation between a group of motorists berating the fact that they’d turned left onto the Barton Hwy from the city only to be faced with a sign, short of the now infamous GDE Bridge saying that the Highway was closed. The result was that all drivers in such a predicament were then required to detour via Gininderra Drive, some 3 kilometres and 2 sets of traffic lights later. I once again contacted Cameron and requested help by installing signage on Northbourne Avenue advising when the Barton Hwy would be closed so road users could detour via Flemington Road or Horse Park Drive. Within 2 days Cameron and Mr Ben McHugh, Major Capital Works had arranged for a mobile sign to be placed on Northbourne Avenus near Antill Street.

Roads ACT often receive bad press for the poor decisions of our planners. In this case it’s “Bouquets” to Roads ACT and the two gentlemen named for their prompt and efficient service to the community and for listening to public feedback. We need more people like this serving our region. A job well done!

That’s great news. Good to hear some positive stories for once!
Though I do think they could improve the signage from the Barton Hwy heading south towards civic, and leading up to the bridge works closure.
I kept forgetting last week and twice I had to turn left onto Gungahlin Drive from the Barton Highway and detour through Mitchell then either Northbourne Ave to Woden or back up to the bridge to turn onto the GDE to head to Woden. It would have saved me a whole lot of angst and cursing if they had had signs up at the roundabout at William Slim Drive and Barton Hwy so I could have gone home via Belconnen.
Probably too late now as I think they are nearing the end of their works however something to think about in future!
Hopefully i remember tonight to go via William Slim Drive!
🙂

Interesting info. Might be worth asking them to look at the lights at Fairbairn (part of the Snow empire now) which, in the mornings, cause traffic to block up right back into Queanbeyan, back as far as the RSL and School sometimes.

That’s actually a really good idea. The long line of crawling traffic does seem to have started appearing about the time they put in the lights in at Fairbairn.

Interesting info. Might be worth asking them to look at the lights at Fairbairn (part of the Snow empire now) which, in the mornings, cause traffic to block up right back into Queanbeyan, back as far as the RSL and School sometimes.